1. Field of Invention
Aspects of this invention are related to minimally invasive, teleoperated surgical systems, and more particularly are related to patient-side surgeon interfaces for minimally invasive, teleoperated surgical systems.
2. Related Art
The da Vinci® Surgical System, manufactured by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., is a minimally invasive, teleoperated robotic surgical system that offers patients many benefits, such as reduced trauma to the body, faster recovery and shorter hospital stay. The da Vinci® Surgical System provides intuitive and ergonomic control of minimally invasive slave surgical instruments, which provides telepresence for the surgeon. This system incorporates a dedicated surgeon console, which provides a three-dimensional stereo viewer, two master tool manipulators, foot pedals for controlling modes of operation, and an ergonomic head and arm rest for prolonged seated use.
While using such a teleoperated robotic surgical system, the surgeon is typically physically separated from the sterile surgical field. Thus, the surgeon relies on assistants in the operating room to perform some tasks at the patient side, which can not be robotically controlled.